The coordinators of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on ‘Covid’ adopted, on Wednesday 11 January, a request from the Greens/EFA group to suspend the access of Albert Bourla, CEO of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, to the European Parliament.
Mr Bourla had first cancelled his participation in a hearing with the committee, which wanted to question him in particular on the contracts for the supply of vaccines against Covid-19 (see EUROPE 13039/13). Mr Bourla was replaced at a first hearing by Janine Small (see EUROPE 13040/27). He then refused a second invitation sent via the secretariat of the Special Committee.
Once the committee has given its reasons for the request, the matter is brought to the attention of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament.
The modalities of application of a possible restriction of access (scope of the possible restriction, details on the possible persons concerned - Mr Bourla alone or also Pfizer representatives) will be specified in the course of a process launched under Rule 123 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.
The Secretariat-General may, with the authorisation of the Quaestors, deactivate or withdraw the right of access to Parliament from a registered person who has, inter alia, “refused to comply with an official summons to attend a hearing or a committee meeting or to cooperate with a committee of inquiry without providing sufficient justification”. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)